Days of the New Announce Breakup Onstage, Future of Band in Doubt

Alternative rock act Days of the New seem to have unfortunately fallen apart just months after reuniting for a summer 2014 tour. After no-showing at a scheduled concert on Sept. 4 in Columbia, Mo., frontman Travis Meeks was reportedly "dazed and incoherent" at the band's Sept. 6 show in St. Louis, leading to bassist Jesse Vest announcing the end of Days of the New while still onstage.

Days of the New burst onto the scene in 1997 with the release of their self-titled debut album, which went platinum in the United States and featured the No. 1 rock hits 'Touch, Peel and Stand' and 'The Down Town.' However, shortly after a tour with Metallica and Jerry Cantrell, original guitarist Todd Whitener, bassist Jesse Vest and drummer Matt Taul called it a day.

Days of the New continued with Travis Meeks at the helm and a revolving door of musicians, including late Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr and Pussycat Dolls member Nicole Scherzinger. The original lineup announced a reunion earlier this year, but the reunion may already be over.

As reported by Alternative Nation, at Days of the New's Sept. 6 show, Jesse Vest grabbed the mic from Travis Meeks after about six songs. In response to Meeks' questionable state, Vest announced the band's dissolution before leaving the stage with Whitener and Taul, according to fan comments on the band's Facebook page. Meeks, who has struggled with drug addiction in his life, reportedly remained onstage before wandering around in the audience, speaking incoherently and even yelling at the merch stand worker.

“We apologize to everyone who came to see us in St. Louis tonight," reads a statement on the band's official Facebook page. "We tried to make this happen, but as anyone who was at the show tonight knows, it was a very difficult situation.”

Days of the New later added, “There are many things to address here, and we don’t want to keep feeding the negativity. We do want to let it be clear that Travis was in no way pressured into this reunion. In fact, it was very much the other way around. Travis literally begged us to do this tour, on the phone, in text, and in person. He had burned so many bridges in his career that no one would hire him to play a show anymore for fear that he would not show up. He knew the original lineup would lend credibility to the project and help him rebuild his career. Unfortunately, he was not able to handle the responsibility or manage his issues."

While it seems like the reunion is over, Days of the New left the door open with another post, stating, "We understand that everyone is concerned and anxious to hear details about what happened, what's happening, and what happens next. Rest assured, we will be making a definitive statement about the future of the band very soon, but for now we are trying to clear our heads and recover from a very stressful weekend. All four of us appreciate your patience and support."